This invention relates to methods for producing a laminate useful in the manufacture of wearing apparel, for example, and to laminates so produced wherein the apparel includes at least one abrasion resistant and/or cut resistant surface.
Breathable gloves having finger surfaces that provide a good grip are highly desirable in an industrial environment. Breathability of such a glove or apparel, however, often greatly reduces the cut resistance of such gloves or apparel. Many such breathable gloves are formed from a web of material, desirably a knitted web. While a coating or laminate on a portion of the web, such as at least a portion of the fingers, thumb and palm, provides some protection and cut resistance, the cut resistance is low. This is because the web, as well as the coating or laminate, must be sufficiently thin to provide dexterity and grip to a user wearing the gloves. Further, often the back or the hand covered by the glove only is covered by a web, to promote breathability and greater flexibility of the glove. The web, however, must be sufficiently thin as well to promote flexibility and dexterity, and therefore provides little resistance to cuts.
A breathable glove and other apparel providing dexterity, flexibility, and greater cut resistance is highly desirable. Such a glove would desirably provide substantial breathability of both front and back surfaces (i.e., surfaces covering the palm and the back of the hand, respectively), as well as great dexterity for for joint movement of the hand and each finger and thumb as well as substantial flexibility overall. Such a glove and other apparel would desirably be an ambidextrous glove or apparel which could be placed on either hand with equal protection, breathability, dexterity and flexibility.
Definitions
As used here, the phrase “substantially continuous surface” refers to a surface wherein the underlying substrate is not visually discernable to the eye of an observer.
As used herein, the phrase “substantially non-continuous surface” refers to a surface having a plurality of spaced-apart dots wherein a plurality of areas positioned between the dots show the substrate which is visually discernable by the eye of an observer.
As used herein, the terms “form,” “forms,” “former,” and “formers” refers to artificially constructed human hands which are used to manufacture gloves.
As used herein, the term “substantially” refers to something which is done to a great extent or degree; a significant or great amount; for example, as used herein “substantially” as applied to “substantially” covered means that a thing is at least 90% covered.
As used herein, the term “about” refers to an amount that is plus or minus 10 percent of a stated or implied range.
These terms may be defined with additional language in the remaining portions of the specification.